What kind of joke was this? One thousand taels?
Did he take him for a wealthy fool and come here to commit daylight robbery?
Lin Guanqing was so furious that it instead provoked a cold laugh out of him. By now, what else was there for him not to understand? This man had not come looking for someone at all; he had simply come to extort silver.
He looked at Shen Xiu once more, his eyes inevitably carrying a hint of impatience. Just as he was about to open his mouth to say something, he saw that she had already taken a shaky step forward.
Shen Xiu looked into the man’s eyes with disbelief.
Yet her tone could not conceal her deep sorrow, and tears even began to fall: “Feng Chengan, you already sold me once, and now you want to sell me a second time? Are you truly this cruel to me?”
Feng Chengan’s face stiffened, and his bloodshot eyes regained a sliver of normalcy. He turned his head to glance at Shen Xiu. Meeting those eyes filled with utter despair and heartbreak, he instinctively averted his gaze, feeling a sharp wrench in his chest as a flash of guilt crossed his face. But very quickly, that guilt was swallowed up by disgust and the temptation of one thousand taels of silver. With a cold, mocking expression, he sneered:
“Who knows what the two of you have been doing? He has no relation to you whatsoever, so why would he help you? What is there about you that is worth his attention? We are both men; do you really think I cannot see what is on his mind regarding you? He harbors illicit intentions toward you!”
Judging others by his own crooked standards, Feng Chengan grew more fluent the more he spoke, until he finally managed to bizarrely convince himself. He even felt justified in his heart, and his irritation flared up with redoubled intensity.
“Furthermore, the two of you, a man and an unattached woman, have been living under the same roof for so many days. I refuse to believe he has never touched you. Since things have reached this point, you still dare to dream of marrying me? I, Feng Chengan, do not want a woman whose purity is questioned to be my wife.”
Crack.
A heavy slap echoed through the air.
“You shameless wretch! How can you even say such words?” Shen Xiu trembled all over with rage, her body swaying as if about to collapse.
Clenching her hands tightly, the tears pooling in her eyes streamed down continuously: “You think everyone is as filthy-minded as you! Young Master Lin is a thousand, ten thousand times better than you.”
“He is upright and honorable. He helped me out of sympathy. We clearly have not done anything at all, so how can you slander me like this?”
Clutching his stinging, reddened face, Feng Chengan glared with bloodshot eyes, swimming with shock and profound hatred. He hated his own incompetence, but even more, he hated that this stranger could so righteously snatch away his fiancée, while Shen Xiu still insisted on defending that man as a good person.
He shouted resentfully toward her: “Sympathy? If he sympathizes with a weak woman, why doesn’t he sympathize with me? I can see clearly that he is hiding a guilty conscience; he simply has his eyes on you.”
Hearing this, Lin Guanqing could not help grinding his teeth.
Sympathy for his foot!
He wished he could just slap him to death and be done with it. He had never witnessed a man so utterly devoid of shame.
He even found himself wondering how poor Shen Xiu’s taste could possibly be to have fallen for such a despicable specimen of a man.
At that thought, the fiery rage in Lin Guanqing’s chest experienced a bizarre calming effect. Because he suddenly realized that, compared to this, he might not be the most pathetic one here after all.
Yet in the next instant, recalling something else, his brow knitted tightly together. He suddenly remembered what Shen Xiu had said when she was first being chased by the slave traders.
He had originally thought it was just an ordinary kidnapping, but looking back now, the reality was the exact opposite: she had been pushed straight into a fiery pit by her own closest relative. Realizing this, a stifling, indescribably complex mood welled up within Lin Guanqing’s heart.
He truly had not expected this man to be so heartless as to refuse to spare even his own fiancée.
If that was the case, then hadn’t he just been telling her to go back with this man, effectively pushing her back into the abyss?
Thinking of this, another wave of stifling frustration crested in Lin Guanqing’s chest.
He could not help recalling the hesitant expressions Shen Xiu had directed at him earlier, and a flicker of remorse darted through his mind, mingled with an obscure blend of sympathy and guilt.
Previously, he had felt this girl’s temperament was far too submissive, as whatever anyone else said, she accepted without ever offering a rebuttal. That was certainly true when he went back on his word about teaching her martial arts earlier.
Yet now, it felt even worse; knowing full well that he harbored intentions of driving her away, she had not even offered a word of explanation, simply enduring it all in silence. If he really had driven her out, Lin Guanqing could easily imagine what awaited her.
A helpless, destitute young woman would not even survive.
If he had done that, wouldn’t he have indirectly pushed her toward a dead end?
At this thought, Lin Guanqing came to an abrupt halt, suddenly feeling thoroughly uncomfortable. Among martial artists, nothing was despised more than such unfeeling, disloyal, and bullying behavior toward the weak.
Besides, Shen Xiu had previously offered words of comfort to ease his mind, and now, seeing her subjected to such grievances, especially after he had nearly misjudged her moments ago, Lin Guanqing felt the guilt and sympathy in his heart reach an absolute peak.
Facing Feng Chengan, who was throwing a scoundrel’s tantrum on the ground, Lin Guanqing felt that fire within him burn even more fiercely, almost reaching the breaking point of suppression.
Just as Lin Guanqing prepared to order someone to toss Feng Chengan out, Shen Xiu moved a step ahead of him.
She closed her eyes. When she opened them again, a resolute determination flickered in her gaze, as though she had made up her mind.
“I will not let Young Master Lin give you any silver.”
Standing between the two of them, her lips were pale, and though her voice was slightly hoarse, it was exceptionally clear.
She paused briefly after speaking. Unable to completely conquer her lingering softness, she stepped closer to Feng Chengan, gently grasped his sleeve, and lowered her voice to offer a final piece of persuasion:
“Chengan, stop this now. Do not keep going down the wrong path. We cannot repay kindness with enmity; isn’t this precisely the kind of behavior you used to despise the most? Furthermore, the most important thing for you right now is to quit taking Five-Stone Powder. It will completely ruin you.”
Yet those words acted like a fuse, instantly igniting Feng Chengan’s rage. With bloodshot eyes and a hateful expression, he violently wrenched his sleeve from her grip: “Shut your mouth! Since he took you away, he must pay compensation.”
At the side, Lin Guanqing sneered aloud, “If it’s silver you want, you’ve knocked on the wrong door. Not only will I not give you a single coin, but if you dare utter another word of nonsense, I will have someone chop you to pieces right now.”
That fierce tone and demeanor frightened Feng Chengan so badly that his face instantly turned pale, and he stumbled backward several steps.
Trembling with rage, Feng Chengan began to lose control of his emotions. Coupled with the onset of his Five-Stone Powder withdrawal, his teeth gnashed loudly, his face mottled between white and blue, and his eyes burned with an inescapable resentment and reluctance.
Seeing the thousand taels of silver about to slip through his fingers, how could he possibly accept it?
His eyes darted around, searching frantically for a way out. Finally, his gaze landed on Shen Xiu standing nearby. After a flicker of hesitation, a ruthless expression hardened in his eyes, and he lunged forward, grabbing her wrist tightly and yanking her fiercely in front of him:
“Fine, so he refuses to pay up, is that it?”
Squeezing a harsh, raspy laugh from his throat, his fingers tightened like an iron clamp, jerking Shen Xiu forward so hard that she staggered:
“Then you are coming with me today. You are my person, Feng Chengan’s fiancée. Since you’ve already lost your purity anyway, the worst that can happen is I’ll sell you a second time. This time you can forget about running away; I won’t let you escape again.”
All the color drained instantly from Shen Xiu’s face, her lips turning deathly pale as if every ounce of strength had been sucked out of her body. An aura of complete despair and hopelessness enveloped her entire frame.
Staring blankly at Feng Chengan, she felt utterly devastated by the magnitude of this man’s change, her heart aching to its very limits.
Because the despair was so overwhelming, she momentarily forgot to resist, allowing herself to be pulled toward the doorway in a weak, staggering heap, on the verge of being dragged away.
Veins throbbed visibly on Lin Guanqing’s forehead. What kind of monsters were these people? He could no longer hold back: “Stop right there! Refusing to spare even your own fiancée, can you even be considered human?”
Feeling the rage boiling endlessly in his chest, Lin Guanqing stepped forward and forcefully blocked the two of them.
“Where do you think you are dragging her? Are you genuinely planning to sell her?”
“What business is that of yours?” Driven to the absolute edge of desperation, Feng Chengan snapped fiercely at Lin Guanqing. Yet, the moment the words left his mouth, a twinge of regret hit him, fearing he might invite another brutal beating. His face mottled with color, he could only glare malevolently.
Resenting the other man’s meddling, he nonetheless puffed himself up with defensive bravado. Gritting his teeth, he barked: “She is my person, and we have a marriage contract drawn up through a matchmaker at the yamen. As long as I am alive, she is my woman for a day, and I will take her wherever I please. This is no place for an outsider like you to interfere.”
Unpleasant as the words sounded, the logic was technically sound.
Moreover, seeing the crowd of onlookers growing larger by the second, Feng Chengan boldly pulled a paper document straight out of his tunic. He shook it open for everyone to see, and it bore an official yamen seal, complete in black and white, and entirely authentic.
With this marriage certificate in hand, even if bystanders felt his actions were unjustifiable, they had no grounds to intervene. After all, it was a family matter, and one could only blame the woman for having poor judgment and a tragic fate.
Hearing those words, Lin Guanqing’s gaze cooled, and his racing thoughts steadied. He knew that using brute force lacked justification, and with so many eyes watching, it would tarnish the reputation of the Bingshui Sect.
Yet, looking at Feng Chengan’s self-righteous expression, an irrepressible impulse to hack the man into pieces still surged deep within him.
Suppressing the urge to commit murder, Lin Guanqing lifted his chin, flashing a tight, ugly smile at Feng Chengan.
Lifting his gaze slightly, he ground out his words: “Fine. You want silver, do you? I can give you one thousand taels, but you must guarantee never to pester her again, and that marriage certificate must be voided. Do you dare agree to that?”
Hearing this, Feng Chengan’s eyes widened in disbelief and elation, leaving him momentarily speechless. Shen Xiu, however, froze completely.
Slowly turning her head, she looked toward Lin Guanqing, all the vulnerability and sorrow within her eyes laid bare at once.
She shook her head at him, wishing to refuse, but though her lips moved, not a single sound came out. Only tears streamed continuously down her cheeks, dropping silently onto the ground.
Turning his head slightly, Lin Guanqing caught Shen Xiu’s gaze.
That look of extreme sorrow made his chest feel heavy and congested. Frowning slightly, he felt a profound sense of unease. Was this girl’s life truly worth no more than a thousand taels of silver in the eyes of others?
He looked back at Feng Chengan with cold eyes: “Isn’t it just money? I can give you one thousand taels, but you must remember this: from this moment on, Shen Xiu has no relation to you whatsoever. You are no longer fiancés. Do you agree or not?”
“I agree, of course I agree!”
Feng Chengan blurted out the words almost the exact second Lin Guanqing finished speaking. His eyes shone with greed as he stared fixedly at the other man. Especially when Lin Guanqing pulled out the bank notes to hand them over, Feng Chengan eagerly reached out to snatch them while babbling:
“Young Master Lin, rest assured, I, Feng Chengan, always keep my word. As long as this thousand taels is truly mine, I guarantee to make a clean break with Xiuxiu starting right now. I can even tear up this marriage contract on the spot. How about that?”
Upon hearing this, the color drained even further from Shen Xiu’s face.
Watching Feng Chengan’s unhesitating attitude and then turning her gaze to Lin Guanqing, she slowly curled her fingers inside her sleeves, her pale fingertips digging hard into her palms.
After a long beat, Shen Xiu’s hoarse voice finally sounded: “Young Master, you do not need to go to such lengths for my sake.”
Finally raising her head, her eyes were slightly red, her complexion pale, and strands of dark hair swept across her face by the wind, with damp, tear-stained locks clinging to her cheeks.
She offered Lin Guanqing a pitiful, desolate smile, tears shimmering within it.
Her eyes held both guilt and gratitude, glowing with an arresting, breathtaking beauty born of her peerless features.
Lin Guanqing’s breath hitched for a fraction of a second, leaving him momentarily dazed.
Smiling as she looked at him, her eyes brimming with grateful tears, she said: “I know the Young Master is kind-hearted, but saving me once was already enough. I cannot drag the Young Master down any further, nor do I wish for you to suffer outside gossip because of my affairs.”
Her voice was extremely soft. The moment the words fell, before Lin Guanqing could respond, she turned abruptly and reached out to snatch those bank notes that Feng Chengan was tightly clutching like a prized treasure and examining repeatedly.
Yet how could a fragile young woman possessing no martial arts strength possibly snatch anything away from an adult male?
Almost the instant Shen Xiu’s fingertips grazed the edge of the paper, Feng Chengan snapped out of his daze. His expression contorted violently, and almost instinctively, he shoved Shen Xiu away with vicious force.
The impact was so great that Shen Xiu lost her footing, staggering backward and looking as though she was about to crash heavily onto the stone steps.
Reacting instantly, Lin Guanqing strode forward, extending his arms just in time to catch her around the waist and shoulders. However, the momentum was too strong, sending both of them stumbling back several steps out of control.
With one hand supporting her shoulder and the other pressed firmly against the small of Shen Xiu’s back, the soft, warm contours and body heat transmitted directly through a thin layer of fabric right into his palm. Furthermore, the distinct rise and fall of her chest was pressed flush against his own.
Lin Guanqing felt a searing heat bloom in his palm, his mind instantly buzzing like a pot of boiling water.
His very first thought was soft. So slender and so soft. Was this what a woman’s waist felt like? He didn’t even dare apply pressure, terrified that a tiny bit of force might snap her in half.
Moreover, he had rarely been this close to any woman other than his Senior Sister, and even with his Senior Sister, he had never made physical contact like this. Realizing the impropriety, Lin Guanqing instinctively wanted to push her away. But Shen Xiu had not yet regained her balance in his arms, making pushing her inappropriate, while not pushing her was equally impossible. Flustered by the dilemma, his entire face turned beet red.
What should he do now?
Meanwhile, watching Lin Guanqing flush to the tips of his ears in helpless panic, Shen Xiu lowered her long, dense eyelashes, which flickered slightly. Beneath her lowered gaze, the corners of her lips curved upward in a subtle arc.
Yet it lasted for only a fraction of a second. She quickly lowered her head entirely, effortlessly smoothing away every trace of emotion from her face before slipping seamlessly back into her previous expression of sorrow and distress.